5 Considerations When Preparing for Product Customization

Product customization allows companies to differentiate and offer shoppers unique and sticky experiences. According to the L2 Index, more than one third of companies offer product customization in Sportswear and 11% in fashion brands. When Adidas launched its Star Wars Stormtrooper customization feature back in 2016, the brand saw a major spike on Instagram.

While there are many benefits to product customization, it is also complex. Following are five considerations:

1. Gather Digital Assets

Proper and appealing assets are extremely important when it comes to product customization. When gathering and organizing assets, consider these factors:

• Photo quality (pixels)
• Number of angles
• Graphic rendering vs. real photography
• 3D vs. 2D
• Colorization vs. multiple color assets

2. Identify Business Needs and Objectives

It’s important to define and document functional and technical requirements that serve both customers and business objectives. While most customization projects focus on user interface, it is equally important to consider operational aspects, such as:

• Production-ready output files
• Administration of products including rules
• Scale of adding new products with additional customization rules
• Templates for products
• Real-time pricing updates
• Save and compare
• Social sharing
• Integrations

3. Assess ROI

Ecommerce conversion rates typically see a big lift with some increasing over 50% when product customization was offered. Develop clear expectations for ROI over specific timeframes. ROI can be measured in hard dollars; however, other KPIs should be factored into assessment including:

• Time on site
• Repeat customers
• Average order value
• The value of the data collected through customization experiences

4. Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)

Budget is also a factor when considering ecommerce product customization. Understanding TCO is crucial when creating a budget. Product customization can add to operational complexities and technical debt when not planned appropriately.

5. Choose The Platform

Following are some questions to consider when choosing the right platform:

• Does the software provide end-to-end product customization capabilities?
• Is social sharing available to promote products while simultaneously offering organic engagement?
• What customer service options are offered?
• Is an administration counsel with a rules engine part of the software?
• What is the list of features offered in the software?